2008 Woodie Awards
Obama brings hope for future
Khalida Sarwari
Issue date: 11/7/06 Section: Opinion
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Barack Obama's recent announcement of a possible run for president in 2008 once again gives Americans the reason to believe that there are better days ahead.
In his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Barack Obama looked to the future of America and saw hope. The greatest gift from God, he said, was this "belief in things not seen." With the current administration in complete disarray, the disastrous war in Iraq, and the devastating tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, Americans have had little to be hopeful about in the past two years. The unlikelihood of the war coming to an end anytime soon and a new scandal in the White House every week, even Americans who haven't been jaded by these circumstances have a reason to be optimistic about the future.
In 2005, Obama was chosen as one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the world after being chosen as only the third African-American to serve the U.S. Senate since the Reconstruction era. Obama's popularity is boundless. He is a well-recieved orator in front of eclectic audiences. Some who have heard the young Senator speak in person say that he doesn't speak to his audience as if they were a faceless mass, but that he has a way of reaching out and directly speaking to each and every member. These are but a few distinctions that set Obama apart from the insipid pack of candidates.
To sum up Obama's persona in one word, integrity instantly comes to mind. He has a refreshing honesty about him that a lot of political leaders either lack or stifle in various ways. This is a man who has freely admitted in his autobiography Dreams from My Father that out of curiosity he dabbled with marijuana and cocaine as a young schoolboy in Hawaii. A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard School of Law, he also had the sense of making something better of himself despite his unconventional upbringing. Through his actions and words, Obama carries himself like a man who is not ashamed of who he once was as much he is proud of who he has now become.
When a leading Republican senator like Kirk Dillard touts his candidacy, any doubt that the young senator will have a successful run is quickly diminished. Calling him an "extraordinary man" who "can really work with Republicans," Dillard especially praised Obama's intellect and charisma. Even Cheney agreed that he is an "attractive candidate."
With rock star appeal to spare and a cool-sounding name to boot, Obama possesses the necessary qualities to give him a successful run for presidency, should he run, in the 2008 election.
In his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Barack Obama looked to the future of America and saw hope. The greatest gift from God, he said, was this "belief in things not seen." With the current administration in complete disarray, the disastrous war in Iraq, and the devastating tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, Americans have had little to be hopeful about in the past two years. The unlikelihood of the war coming to an end anytime soon and a new scandal in the White House every week, even Americans who haven't been jaded by these circumstances have a reason to be optimistic about the future.
In 2005, Obama was chosen as one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the world after being chosen as only the third African-American to serve the U.S. Senate since the Reconstruction era. Obama's popularity is boundless. He is a well-recieved orator in front of eclectic audiences. Some who have heard the young Senator speak in person say that he doesn't speak to his audience as if they were a faceless mass, but that he has a way of reaching out and directly speaking to each and every member. These are but a few distinctions that set Obama apart from the insipid pack of candidates.
To sum up Obama's persona in one word, integrity instantly comes to mind. He has a refreshing honesty about him that a lot of political leaders either lack or stifle in various ways. This is a man who has freely admitted in his autobiography Dreams from My Father that out of curiosity he dabbled with marijuana and cocaine as a young schoolboy in Hawaii. A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard School of Law, he also had the sense of making something better of himself despite his unconventional upbringing. Through his actions and words, Obama carries himself like a man who is not ashamed of who he once was as much he is proud of who he has now become.
When a leading Republican senator like Kirk Dillard touts his candidacy, any doubt that the young senator will have a successful run is quickly diminished. Calling him an "extraordinary man" who "can really work with Republicans," Dillard especially praised Obama's intellect and charisma. Even Cheney agreed that he is an "attractive candidate."
With rock star appeal to spare and a cool-sounding name to boot, Obama possesses the necessary qualities to give him a successful run for presidency, should he run, in the 2008 election.